Solo 45 trial: Grime artist guilty of raping four women

Image caption Andy Anokye, who performed as Solo 45, was part of grime collective Boy Better Know

A grime artist has been found guilty of raping four women and holding them against their will.

During a trial at Bristol Crown Court, Andy Anokye, 32, who performed as Solo 45, admitted he would “terrorise” women during “rough sex”.

He denied the allegations, but was found guilty of 30 charges.

Judge William Hart adjourned sentencing for a date to be fixed and ordered a psychiatric report to be carried out on the defendant.

Anokye was unanimously convicted of 21 rapes, five counts of false imprisonment, two counts of assault by penetration and two of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The offences were committed between February 2015 and March 2017.

‘Violent, controlling narcissist’

The investigation against Anokye began after one of the victims told friends and police what had happened.

Officers then seized his mobile phones and laptop, and this led police to three other women.

He met the women at his gigs and developed relationships with them before assaulting them, his trial heard.

Jill MacNamara, of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: “We were able to prove that Anokye was a violent, controlling narcissist and bully who took pleasure in inflicting pain and suffering upon his victims.

“He filmed many of his attacks on his mobile phone, and this footage, along with the brave testimony of his victims, created a compelling case against him.

“He claimed sexual activity with these women was consensual role-play and pointed to the fact that some of the women stayed in a relationship with him after the assaults.

“However, the CPS was able to prove none of these women had consented to the sexual activity or the violence and threats made against them.

“The fear he elicited must have made it obvious they did not consent.”

Anokye, who is from London but had a flat in Bristol, was part of grime collective Boy Better Know.

He appeared as part of that collective on the main stage at the Reading and Leeds Festival in 2016.

His best known track as Solo 45 was Feed Em To The Lions, which was covered by Craig David – as a mash-up with Destiny Child’s Say My Name – for an appearance on BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge in 2016.